JICE Japan-Africa Youth Program 2026: Fully Funded Japan Visit for African Animation Professionals
The JICE Japan-Africa Youth Program offers African animation professionals a fully funded 12-day trip to Japan for professional learning and networking. Eligible organizations can send up to two participants, consisting of a company executive and a creative professional.
Overview
The JICE Japan-Africa Youth Program – Professionals Japan Visit Program for Co-creation (Animation Production) provides an international exchange opportunity for African animation professionals. Organized by the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE), the initiative invites participants to travel to Japan for approximately 12 days of industry exposure, networking, cultural exchange, and collaboration.
The program aims to connect African animation creators with Japanese anime companies, creators, and educational institutions, fostering potential long-term partnerships and co-creation.
Benefits
- Program participation and international travel expenses are covered free of charge.
- Approximately 12 days of immersive exposure to Japan's animation production sites, companies, and related industries.
- Networking opportunities with Japanese creators, industry stakeholders, and educational institutions.
- Cross-cultural learning and potential pathways for future international collaboration.
Eligibility
- Targeted at African anime creators and professionals working within anime production companies or organizations in Africa.
- Participation is organized at the company level, with a maximum of 10 companies accepted in total.
- Each participating organization may nominate a maximum of two individuals: one company executive or decision-maker, and one creative professional.
How to Apply
Interested organizations must complete the official online application process via the designated submission platform.
JICE recommends preparing all written responses in a separate word-processing document beforehand to prevent data loss or submission failures due to session timeouts in the online portal.
Applicants should carefully review the official Application Guidelines, Letter of Understanding, Handling of Personal Information, and Draft Standard Itinerary before applying.
Deadline
The application deadline is Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 23:59 Japan Standard Time (JST). The online application system will close automatically at this time.